Chapter 2
"Hello Mother." Claw says gently, a smile of love and warmth spreading across his face. He despised these sessions with Wisetooth, and always would. Though, the one good thing about them, was that he got to see her after he was finished, every single time. His mother's name was Shimmer. Yes, Shimmer and Shade were indeed what his parents were called. Quite the duo. Unlike his father however, she always made time for her son and knew that after another gruelling morning with the elderly NightWing of the rainforest, Claw would love to lay his eyes on her. A shining light in what would be an awful darkness, to dive into his 'past' and never see her on the other end? He couldn't even begin to imagine it.
Shimmer had been resting on that same mossy boulder, across from the towering hut. Since Claw would always finish around the same time, every time, she'd chosen this one specific spot. "Hello, my little moon." A smile of very similar affection forms on her face too, elegantly jumping down from the large rock and striding her way over to Claw. "How was it? I noticed you were in there a bit longer than usual." Her voice was curious, wondering what kept him those extra few minutes. Gesturing for them both to start walking away from where Wisetooth might eavesdrop, they begin heading for the main clearing.
"I just...don't understand." The young dragon's voice spoke softly, as he and Shimmer walked together, with the many sounds of the vibrant rainforest all around them. Certainly a lot different compared to that bleak, dark, barren landscape of the island. Her wing brushing against his reassuringly while he continued to speak. "This is me, right? Claw. The NightWing. Someone who likes to be mischievous, who likes to not be told what to do by grumpy old dragons, and who most definitely doesn't hold a death grudge against anyone!" He rambled a little, getting this weight off of his chest. After what he'd discovered in his so-called past today, he was even more confused than he had ever been.
Claw sighed to himself, giving his mother a worried glance. "What could have possibly happened? What could be so bad that I'd be so determined to go after someone?" He asks her this hopefully, and to which, Shimmer nuzzles her cheek against his own. "I'm not sure, little moon. But I can recall a time when Camu stole a fish from you. I'd never seen a more determined expression across that face of yours than on that day. I think you definitely held some form of a grudge against him. Was it a death grudge? Hm, well, I can't say. I'm not you. Though I do know how much you love fish! So, perhaps that RainWing does deserve to be punished for fish theft." She joked and laughed at her own little joke. That laugh. The one that always bought happiness whenever it was heard. The one that could reach into the darkest recesses of one's mind and blast away all of those shadowy thoughts. Doubt. Worry. Fear. All gone, and all because of one single laugh. From the best mother on the whole continent. No, wait. The best mother on both continents. Out of all the ten tribes!
She easily made Claw's smile return, full force. Extinguishing the bad in his brain. "RainWings don't even eat fish, as far as I know. I had to chase him down. I shall not allow the thievery of innocent, juicy, succulent fish in our part of the rainforest!" He put on a playful, heroic voice for the last half of his sentence there. Acting as though he was the 'great defender of the fish', even despite being their biggest enemy. Suddenly standing tall, and proud. Striking that noble pose. With Shimmer just giggling to herself, not so heroically, in the background.
"Mother, you're supposed to be gazing upon me in awe. Look at Claw, he is such a good dragon, defending the ones who cannot defend themselves." He recites what Shimmer is meant to be doing right at this very moment, rather than having a hard time keeping her giggles under control. She gives her head a gentle, playful shake. What sunlight was able to break through the thick canopy overhead, illuminating the purple in her eyes. "I do gaze upon you in awe Claw, each and every day. You're my son, my blood, my bright moon in that sea of darkness." Her voice was softer now, soothing, motherly. Fixing her son with the warmest of smiles and holding one of his talons in her own. "Great things lay ahead of you Claw. An entire life, and I know you'll be the best dragon you can be to all those around you. Just, maybe don't try being the heroic 'fish saviour' for too long, you may get some strange looks."
Now it was the young NightWing having to hold back his giggles. Hearing his own Mother saying those two words together, 'fish saviour', he had to admit it wasn't the most brilliant of titles to have. "It's a slow progression. If I can save a fish from a mischievous thief such as Camu, then I'll eventually be able to save other dragons too. Right? Protecting the innocent, and all that?" He asked, a hopeful tone to his voice, and a desire to do good in this world. Even if the two continents had now been at peace for a whole year. Shimmer thinks of this fact and squeezes her son's talons lightly. "You won't need to do any saving Claw. The ten tribes have lived in complete harmony this past year, and we will all continue to do so. Evil may never be truly gone, but I firmly believe that the nightmares of the past will stay that way. Nightmares. Rough parts of our history. If we carry on how we are son, nobody will need protecting. We'll all be just fine."
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, wanting to find truth and solace in the words his Mother had just uttered to him. Though, there was a part of Claw that somehow knew, somebody would need protecting. When? It wasn't clear, he just...had a strange feeling. Maybe it was the apparent 'visions of his past' that gave him this knowledge. 'I still wish I knew what was actually happening in those cursed visions! It's all just guesses, I need to know, not guess!' He squeezes Shimmer's talon back, and slowly, they both let go of each other. "I know, I just like to think it's always good to be prepared, in case I do need to swoop in someday and protect someone." He manages a smile now, and the two NightWings continue onward, about to arrive at the main clearing.
'I don't want her to worry about me. I know, somehow, that I will need to protect a life. Maybe more than a life, at some point in my future. Whose lives? I wish that could be clearer, but I think it's obvious, I'm going to need to ask Wisetooth some questions.'
